Refrigerator container for container cars



Mar'ch 16 1937. G. c. WOODRUFF 2,073,981

REFRIGERATOR CONTAINER FOR CONTAINER CARS Filed March 1, 1955 6, Sheets-Sheet 1 A March 16-, 1937 a. c. WOODRUFF v 2,073,981L

REFRIGERATOR CONTAINER FOR CONTAINER CARS Filed March 1, 1933 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 16,1937; (3. CfWOODRUF F 3, v REFRIGERATOR CONTAINER FOR CONTAINER CARS Filed March 1, 1935 A e sheets-sheet 3 E R 0&"

March 16, 1937. c. WOODRUFF 2,073,931

REFRIGERATOR CONTAINER FOR CONTAINER CARS Filed March 1, 1933 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 MMCwWW March 16, 1937. e. c. WOODRUFF 2,073,931 REFRIGERATOR CONTAINER FOR CONTAINER CARS Filed March 1 1933 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 I: 9 a 'J /7 v /6 1 5o /7" If Z 5/ /6 I F; 25 47 6 49 v w L h- "71 gvvpmtw l8 4 v Qg? I 4 MW March 16,1937.

e. c. WOODRUFF 2,073,981

REFRIGERATOR CONTAINER FOR CONTAINER CARS Filed March 1, 1953 e Sheets-Shet s Patented Mar. 16, 1937 REFRIGERATOR CONTAINER FOR CON- TAINER CARS Graham C. Woodrufi", Bronxville, N. Y., assignor to The L. C. L. Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Application March 1, 1933, Serial No. 659,232

4 Claims. (Cl. 220-15) This invention relates to containers for container cars of that type designed for the shipment in containers of less than car lots, and particularly to containers intended for use in conjunction with drop side container compartment cars, in which the containers provided or not with supporting legs or the like are adapted to be shifted'into and out of the car compartments on loading and unloading trucks or by 1" suitable hoisting mechanism.

One object of my invention is to provide a novel and improved construction of container for container cars, which embodies a bunker or compartment for holding a suitable refrigerating medium and circulating cold air through the container, whereby the interior of the container may be kept at a predetermined low temperature for the preservation during shipment of perishable goods.

20 A further object of the invention is to provide a container of this character which is adapted for the use of either water ice or solid carbon dioxide (CO2) hereinafter referred to as dry ice and the reliable and efficientdistribution of 25 the cold therefrom, and which embodies novel meansfor the'circulation of the air through the container and its refrigerating bunker or compartment, whereby the entire storage space of the container may be kept at the predeter- 30 mined low temperature desired.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a container of thecharacter described having an ice bunker and air circulating means of novel construction and arrangement to secure economy, together with insulating means for use within the refrigerating bunker or compartment whereby cold losses may be avoided and a reliable degree of temperature regulation secured in a 40 simple and effective manner.

A still further object of the invention is to.

in use to be readily and easily transformed into I a refrigerator container.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of the features of construction, 55 combination and arrangement of parts, herea refrigerating action of maximum efliciency and inafter fully described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in' which:-

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a refrigerator container for container cars constructed in ac- 5 cordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same loo-king toward the end opposite the door opening.

Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section through the container taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section through the container on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a transverse section through the container on line 5--5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the container.

Fig. 7 is a horizontal section on line l-1 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 8 is a similar section on line 8-8 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 9 is a section through the'ice bunker showing the mode of use of water ice as a refrigerant.

Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 9 through the ice bunker showing the use of dry ice as a refrigerant.

Fig. 11 is a detail view of a resistance pad.

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to Fig. 3, showing a modification in the bunker construction.

Figs. 13 and 14 are views similar to Figs. 9 and 10, showing the use ofv water ice and dry ice, respectively.

In the practical embodiment of my invention as herein disclosed, I have shown a container I of oblong or oblong rectangular form, which may ormaynot be provided with supporting feet at its corners, that disclosed in the present instance being of oblong rectangular form, and provided at its top with lifting links 3. In its structural organization the container comprises a bottom 4, side walls 5, front and rear end walls 6 and l, a ceiling 8 and a roof 9.

The container is preferably 'one of a composite type of wood, metal and insulating material, the parts being so combined, arranged and connected and reinforced as to provide a container of great strength but of comparatively light weight. The bottom and walls of the container are accordingly constructed of elements of sheet metal and wood combined and reinforced in a novel manner and associated 50 with insulating material to prevent cold losses and maintain the interior of the container at a predetermined low temperature.

The bottom wall 4 consists of a double course wood floor I ll or other suitable construction of 55 floor, on which are laid wooden floor beams H supporting a single course plywood floor. This floor is covered with a sheet metal surfacing l2 preferably comprising a galvanized iron (or other suitable material) floor sheet of pan-shaped formation, having upstanding flanges l3 lapping the lower portions of the container walls, as hereinafter described. On top of the flooring so constructed are laid wooden stringers 14 on which are laid wooden cleats I5, providing a lattice-like floor rack or grating of suitable type on which the contained goods or lading rests.

The walls 5, 6 and I consist each of a sheet metal outside wall sheet l6 and posts I! and vertical slats 11, together with an inside lining or wall sheet l8 of plywood secured to the outer faces of the posts and disposed between the same and the slats, said outer wall sheet l6 and inner wall sheet 18 being disposed in spaced relation to each other. To the inner faces of the slats IT, which are secured with the wall sheets l8 to the posts H, are secured horizontally extending wooden cleats or slats l9, spaced to provide a light, strong and durable guard surface on the inner sides of the vertical walls against which the stored goods or lading may bear and be held from shifting movement. The posts and slats additionally provide with the floor rack or grating openwork supports for the lading forming vertical air passages and horizontal air passages to allow of a thorough circulation of cold air throughout the lading so that a highly efiective degree of refrigeration may be obtained.

The ceiling 8 consists of plywood panels secured to wooden ceiling beams 26. Above this ceiling 8 the roof 9, formed of metallic sheets, is disposed and arranged at a suitable level to provide an intervening insulation space. In one short side, or end, of the container is a doorway 2| adapted to be closed in an air-tight manner by a door 22 formed, like each vertical body wall, of an outer sheet metal wall surface and an inner sheathing or lining of plywood disposed in spaced relation thereto. The space between the wall and door sheets and sheathings or linings of the walls and door, as well as the space between the ceiling and roof sheet, and the space between floor surfaces 9 and I2, are filled with any suitable kind of insulating material 23, to prevent or reduce to a minimum heat exchange between the inside of the container and the outer atmosphere.

In practice the sheet metal walls of the container may be provided with the usual guide shoes 24 and stiffening braces 25, which may be of any preferred construction and arrangement, and as commonly employed in containers of this character. With the exceptions noted, the body construction of the container may, in fact, be the same as certain general merchandise containers in common use, modified by making the structural internal changes set forth to convert the same into a refrigerator container, to which the described internal construction lends itself in a very simple, desirable and effective manner and in such a way as to enable a modification to be carried out without making the converted container unduly heavy in weight. The internal construction of the container, furthermore, is such that goods of perishable type may be shipped and protected from physical injury and preserved from deterioration for a. comparatively long period, in view of the effective insulation secured which not only reduces cold losses due to convection and radiation through the container walls but also prevents unduly rapid melting of the refrigerant employed.-

A hatchway 25, extending the entire width of the container, is provided through the roof and ceiling of the container at the side opposite the door, which hatchway is adapted to be closed by a two-sectioned hinged door 21. This hatchway communicates with the top of an ice bunker 28 disposed immediately beneath it. The bunker is formed by the adjacent portions of the rear and side walls of the container body and a substantially L-shaped cast metal bunker unit 29 suitably fastened to supporting brackets 30 and comprising a vertical front wall 3! and a bottom wall 32 formed respectively with outwardly extending or radially directed conducting fins 33 and 34. In practice, the bunker unit and its flanges are made of a metal of antirust character and good conductivity, such as aluminum, and the bottom wall 32 is arranged to slope toward the bottom of the wall 3i to facilitate the drainage of any water of condensation outwardly through a drain tube or pipe 35. The bunker may be provided with suitably arranged outlets for the escape of gases in the use of dry ice and the doors 2? are preferably provided at their bases with pockets or chambers 31 for the reception and storage of resistance pads 38, which pads, together with insulating pillows 38 and insulating baffle mats or pads 40, are employed for the effective use in the bunker of water ice or dry ice as a refrigerant.

In practice, the walls 3i and 32 of the bunker unit serve as conductor plates for the transmission of cold from the bunker to air circulating in the upper vertical portion 4i, and horizontal intermediate portion 42 of a downdraft air cooling flue 43, which also includes a lower portion 44 extending from the portion 42 downwardly to a suitable elevation above the floor rack of the container chamber. This flue is in communication at its upper end with the container chamber through an upper horizontal passage 45 and at its lower end with the container chamber through a lower horizontal passage 46, whereby acirculation of air is induced as long as the conducting plates 3| and 32 are colder than the internal atmosphere of the container, the warm air traveling from the top of the container chamber through the passage 45 into the portion 4| of the flue and in contact with the fins 33, then through the portion 42 of the flue and in contact with the fins 34, whereby the air is materially cooled, and the air then descending in the flue portion 44 and thence through the passage 46 into the bottom of the container chamber and, as it becomes warm by extraction of heat from the lading, travels upward through the lading to the top of the container chamber, whereupon a repetition of the circulating action occurs as set forth. The flue portions 4|, 42 and 43 are respectively formed by baffle walls 41, 48 and 49, the walls 41 and 49 being vertically disposed and lying respectively inwardly of and beneath the bunker and being connected by the horizontal wall 48, which thus separate the flue forming portion of the container from the lading containing or storage space thereof. The baflie walls are preferably of hollow construction, each comprising spaced wall portions of plyboard or the like, and the inner faces of the wall portions 41 and 49 are covered by a lining 50 of sheet metal, which at its intermediate portion extends over the horizontal baiile wall in'spaced relation thereto to provide an intervening dead air space or.

By this arrangement the lading is pocket 52. 5' held separated from the flue and a form, construction and arrangement of flue provided which ensures an effective circulation of the air as long as a proper relative difference'of temperatures between the container storage space and bunker exists, to keep the lading at the right temperature, the circulation of the cooled air through the lading being facilitated by the slatted constructionof the rack bottom and sidesof the container body and by properly l5- packing the lading within the container storage space so as to allow passage of air.

The ice bunker is adapted for the use of either water ice or dry ice. Fig. 9 shows the mode of packing the bunker in the use of water '20 ice. In such use the water ice 53, preferably in block form, is disposed within the bunker so as to rest directly against the bottom wall 32 and front wall 3|, whereby the developed cold will be transmitted through the conducting plates 25 3| and 32 in an effective manner. Any insulating pillows 39 and heat baflles, pads or. mats carried for use with dry ice may, if there is available space, also be placed for storage in the bunker, as shown. In the use of dry ice,'as 30 shown in Fig. 10, a resistance pad 38 is placed beneath the ice anda conducting plate 32, an insulating pillow 39 is placed upon the upper surface of the ice, and an insulating pador mat 4D is placed between the ice and the plate 3|, 35 to regulate the transmission of heat and cold to prevent the ice from melting too fast and to regulate the amount of cold transmitted through the conducting plates and fins to the flue to any extent desired by the use of insulating or resistance units which vary in thickness and their degree of resistivity to the passage of heat and cold. The resistance pads may consist of A," pressed board coated with aluminum paint, and when not in use these pads are stored within the storage pockets 31. In case of loss or damage, the resistance pads can be replaced temporarily with any available building board having insulating properties, such as heavy cardboard, celotex or corrugated board approximately equal to the total resistance thickness above given. If very low temperatures are desired, any kind of tough strong paper can be used in place of the resistance pads, it being understood that it is necessary to govern the. .transmission of cold and to regulate the tem: perature of the interior of the container not only to preserve the contents thereof but to prevent freezing of such contents. The insulating pillows and heat baflle mats or pads may be made of any suitable insulating material and of a desired thickness and degree of resistivity. By the use of radial distributing fins and the temperature controlling elements above described, proper regulation of the internal temperature of the container may be effected, and

the lading and bunker packed so as to ensure refrigeration of the goods to any desired degree for any given reasonable period of time.

The construction of refrigerator container above described provides a container which is of simple character and may be used for the storage and shipping of various kinds of goods, and the internal construction of the container, .and that of the refrigerant containing. bunker, 75 "is such as not only to ensure efl'lciency of acpracticable.

tion, but to enable non-refrigerating containers for use on container cars to be converted into refrigerator containers at very low cost.

In Fig. 12 I have shown a construction of container in which the bunker 28a is of greater width than the width of the hatchway and extends inwardly to a point beneath the ceilin giving increased capacity for storage of the refrigerating medium to maintain a low temperature for a longer period. This bunker is also adapted for the use of either water ice or dry ice and its construction may be the same as that of the bunker 28 previously described. The general construction of the container body may also be the same as that previously described and similarly insulated with any suitable insulating material. The bunker28a shown in Fig. 12 permits of the use of longer fins than the bunker 28, with a proportionate increase of cold distribution.

Water ice when used in the bunker shown in Fig. 12 may be applied in cakes of any convenient size, in sufficient quantity to obtain the required refrigeration for length of time desired, any heat baflles or pads carried for use with dry ice to be placed in storage positionagainst the outer wall of bunker, as shown in Fig. 13. In the use of dry ice as shown in Fig. 14, it is important that the cakes be distributed over as great an area of the floor or bottom plate of bunker as When icing with 600 pounds or over, full size cakes are used, but when icing with 300 pounds the cakes should be sawed in half and placed in position so as to entirely cover the bunker floor. Heat bafile is disposed between.

the ice and front wall and resistance pads are placed between the ice and floor to control the temperature and upon the top of the ice to prevent wasteful melting.

Whenever practicable, the container is iced for pre-cooling five or six hours before loading, and the door kept closed during the pre-cooling period. The lading should also be pre-cooled, whenever practicable, in order to reduce ice consumption during shipment.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction, mode of operation and advantages of my improved refrigerator container will be readily understood and appreciated by those versed in the art without a further and extended description. is preferred it will, of course, be understood that changes in the form, proportion and details of construction of the parts of the container and the refrigerator unit may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advan tages of the invention.

What I claim is:-

1. An insulated goods container for container cars comprising a body having bottom, side and end walls, a ceiling, and a roof in spaced relation to the ceiling, the said bottom wall being formed of an outer wall surface and an inner wall surface, said outer wall surface comprising a plurality of courses of wood and said inner wall surface comprising a single course of plywood sheathing arranged in spaced relation to said outer wall sprface, floor beams arranged at spaced intervals apart and extending vertically between and in contact with said outer and inner wall surfaces and supporting the inner wall surface from the outer wall surface and also dividing the intervening space into compartments,

While the construction disclosed 1 and insulating material filling the said compartments in the space between the inner and outer wall surfaces of the bottom wall, and insulating material filling the space between the ceiling and the roof.

2. An insulated goods container for container cars comprising a body having bottom, side and end walls, a ceiling, and a roof in spaced relation to the ceiling, the said bottom wall being formed of an outer wall surface and an inner wall surface, the said outer wall surface comprising a plurality of wooden courses and the said inner wall surface comprising a single course of plywood sheathing disposed in spaced relation to'the outer wall surface, spaced apart wooden floor beams laid upon the outer wall surface of the bottom wall and extending upwardly therefrom in contact with and supporting said single course plywood layer, said beams dividing the space between said wall surfaces into compartments, a pan-shaped metal reinforcing plate laid upon the outer face of the plywood sheathing and having upstanding marginal reinforcing flanges lapping the base portions of the side and end walls, insulated material filling the compartments formed by the floor beams between the inned and outer wall surfaces of the bottom wall, and insulating material filling the space between the ceiling and the roof.

3. An insulated goods container for container cars comprising a body having insulated bottom, side and end walls, each comprising spaced inner and outer wall surfaces, a ceiling, and a roof in spaced relation to the ceiling, the outer wall surfaces of the side and end walls being formed of sheet metal and the inner wall surfaces thereof of plywood sheathing and the outer wall surface of the bottom wall being formed of a plurality of wood courses and the inner wall surface thereof of a layer of plywood sheathing, floor beams laid upon the outer wall surface of the bottom wall and extending therefrom upwardly in contact with and supporting said plywood inner wall surface therefrom and in spaced relation thereto, said beams also serving to divide the space between said wall surfaces into compartments, a reinforcing grating covering the inner faces of the plywood inner wall surfaces of the side and end walls and forming air circulating passages between the same and said walls, a pan-shaped metail reinforcing plate laid upon the upper surface of the plywood sheathing of the bottom wall and having upstanding marginal reinforcing flanges lapping the base portions of the plywood inner wall surfaces of the side and end walls, and insulating material filling the compartments formed by the beams between the inner and outer wall surfaces of the bottom wall, and insulating material filling the spaces between the inner and outer wall surfaces of the side and end walls and between the ceiling and the roof.

4. An, insulated goods container for container cars comprising a body having bottom, side and end walls, a ceiling, and a roof, the said bottom wall embodying a multicourse Wooden outer Wall surface and a single ply plywood inner wall surface, floor beams arranged in spaced relation to each other between said wall surface and extending upward from the outer wall surface to and supporting the inner-filall surface therefrom, said beams also dividing the space between said wall surfaces into compartments, and insulating material filling the compartments formed by the beams between the outer and inner wall surfaces of the bottom wall.

GRAHAM C. WOODRUFF'. 

